Hand brake



I. F. OCONNOR.

Y HAND BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED `IAN. I4, I92I, 1,405,521, y Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

@Mja 924,;

UNIIEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

y 1' JoIIN F. ofooNIsIoR.l or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIeNoR ro -wILLIAIvI II. lnumana, or f HAND BRAKE. Y

Chicago', inthe county-of Cook. and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in `Hand Brakes, of which the following isa full,lclear, concise, and exact description, reference beingfhad to the accompanying drawings, forming. av

part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hand brakes.

One object of the invention is toprovide aV simple and efficient hand brake, especially adapted for railway cars, such as a mail car, and wherein the device is operable both lto apply the brake andrelease the same, from either side of a carwall. u l yA more speciicobject of the invention is to provide ahand brake of the character above indicated wherein. only one setlvof.

ratchetingv devices is employed but inwhich the release thereof.A may be effected with equalffacility from either side of the wall.

In the v`drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure lisa vertical, sectional. view showing a portion of a kcar wall withA my Improved brake applied thereto.V Figure,

2 is an elevational. view of the brake shown in Figure 1 and taken fromvthe righthandv side looking toward theleft thereof. Figures 3 andi): are vertical,sectional viewstaken on the section line :v-x of Figure 1,r Figure 3 looking in the direction towardV the left and Figure 4in the direction toward the right. And Figure 5 is a detail, sectional view cor.-

responding substantially to the line 5-75 ofl Figure 1.

In saidV drawing, the wall o-f the car is shown as comprised of an outer sheet metal sheathing 10 and an inner sheet metal sheathing 11 spaced therefrom an appre-A ciable distance as is customary in mail cars. The improved brake is extended in part through thewall and operable from both chain winding drum a pawl ratchet wheel a bushing or sleeve C; an outer operating'handle or leverD Van inner operating handle or lever E; a casing F; ka bushing4 G; a spring H.; a locking dog J; a

ratcheting Apawl K; an outer release. lever L 3 and an inner release lever M.

The casingy F f of substantially hollow Specification of Letters Patent. i

F.- OCoNNoR, av

Patented Feat, 1922;

Application led January 14, 1921. -Serial 110.437,260.

.same having a Vcentral opening formingthe bearing for the drumvA.

yThe drum A yis of cylindrical form and is provided with a radially extending flange 14 by which the uppery end of the. chain 15 may be attached through the intermediary of a bolt 16. As will be understood, by those skilledv inthe art, upon rotation of the druin A, the chain willA wind therearound, thereby pulling the brake rod andcausing application of the-brakesto the. car wheels..-V The' chain extends down through the wall and over a sheave wheel, not shown.KV At its inner end, the drum A is formed witha ratchetwheel having a vseries of radially arranged ratchetteeth 17'. The pawlB is formed on its side. adjacent the drum ratchet wheel with two diametricallyopposed sets of cooperatingradially varranged ratchetteeth 117. The flanged inner endo'f the drum A upon which the ratchet teeth 17 are formed, has af circular periphery as Vindicated in FigureB, thereby adaptingthe drum to rotate with respect to the sleeve G. A

The pawl B is of the cross section best shown in Figure 3 where it will beseen that it is open to one side as indicated 'at 18, thereby adapting said pawlmember BY .to be` slid over the sleeve C which is shouldered. on opposite sides of the pawl as indicated at 19 and 20. In this manner, the pawl is prevented from longitudinal movement with respect to the sleeve lCbut may be readily assembled therewith. kThe spring H reacts against one side of the pawl B and at its opposite end against an inwardly extending flange 21 formed at the outer end ofthe sleeve G so that said springk H `normally holds the pawl B in operative en agement withthe drum A and the bushing@ toward the left, asviewed in Figure 1. As-.clearly shown in Figures 3 and @the crosslsection of the pawl B is such thatit cannot rotate with respect to the sleeve .Gr although it is permitted an axial movement with respect thereto for a limited distance and against the action of the spring H. y f

The sleeveG is rotatably mounted VWithin sof Ion Y grip I maintained Aspaced from the 'lever E and.

Y lower end, above the'pivot pin 30, the release lever -M isforined with a rounded lib the casing F and at its outer end isy provided with a series of peripheral ratchet teeth 22 with which is adapted to cooperate the pivoted gravity-influenced locking dog J, as best shown in Figures 2 and 4. Thev dog J prevents accidental reverse Vrotation of the sleeve G and consequently of the drum A.

Extending through the center of the busliing C is a rod or axle 23 having tapered non-circular ends'on which are seated the correspondingly recessed hubs 24-24 of the two levers'D and E. The latter are secured to the rod 23 by suitable washers and nuts as indicated at 25-25. The levers D and E may be of any suitable construction, the lever D preferably having itsliand grip 26 outwardly offset from the vwall as shown in Figure l. On account ofthe fact that the lever E is farther removed from the inside of the wall, such an offset is not necessary. In the case of the lever E, it is provided with a depending rectangular enlargement 2,7 which is suitably recessed to accommodate a spring 28 and a sliding spring controlled pawl K in the plane of the ratchet teeth 22 with which it is adapted to cooperate in the usual manner. The release lever Mis Cp'votally attached to the operatincr lever to the leverE and having a suitable hand 31 at its upper end by which it is readily accessible for operation. At its 32 .which engages in an annular groove 33 formed in the sleeve C. As will'be evident,`

upon pulling the release lever M outwardly or awa from its operating lever E, the sleeve will be' moved axially toward the right, thereby carrying with it the pawl B and dis/engaging the latter from the drum A so that the drum is then free to rotate in an unwinding direction to release the brake chain. i Y

The release lever L isvpivotally attached to its corresponding operating lever D als by a pivot pin 34. Said release lever L has a similar hand' grip 35 to space it from the lever D; At its upper end, the release'lever L` is formed with a small arm 36 which engages between the'adjacent end of the sleeve C and the hub 24. By pulling lthe release lever L outwardly laway from its lever D, it is evident that the sleeve C will be forced to theright against the action of the spring,v H, thereby disengaging the pawl B from the drum A and adapting the latter to rotate 1n anunwinding direction to release the brake chain. i Y

yTo operate the device to'wind the chain or tighten it, either handle D or E may be `utilized to' imparta* clockwise rotation $9 as by the pivot pin 30, saidV release lever M extending normally parallel prevent the levers from swinging too far to either side of vertical position. In this connection, it will be noted that the outside lever D is normally dependent and the lever E normally extended upwardly,` This is done for the reason that, on the outsideof the car, the brakeman is generally requiredV to work from a step which is comparatively low andmust pull up onthe operating lever whereas, on the interioroi' the car, the operator stands upon'the floor and pulls the inside lever downwardly. toward him. In

order to'inaintain the vertical positions ofv sei the levers as above described,'they are op'- positely disposed as shown and in addition4 the enlargement 27 is preferably made comparatively heavy so as to act as a counterweight in assisting to maintain the vertical positions of the operatinvlevers.

In assembling my bra re, after the casing F and casting 13 are in position, the en of the brake chain is brought out f through the 'casing F and secured to the drum, the parts then being inserted within the casing to their finalV properpositions. To permit of' this, the casing F may bel slotted asindicated at 58 to provide the necessary clearance for the chainv and flange 14 whenthe drum is inserted through the casing.

F rom'the preceding description, it willbe seen that I employ only one set of ratcheting devices proper, thereby reducingfthe. cost ot' manufacture and applicationV whiley at the same time providing for operation and release withV equal facility 'from either side of the wall. .1f

I have herein shown and described what'.Y-

I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out the invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope 'of the claims appended hereto;

I claim:

1. In a hand brake, the combination with a rotatable element;v of a ratchet wheel rigid with said element; a pawl cooperable with said ratchet wheel, the pawlbeing axially movable relative to the ratchet vwheel to permit disengagement thereform; spring means yieldingly impelling saidvpawl into cooperativev engagement with said Vratchet wheel; a locking dog; a second ratchet wheel with which said dog cooperates, said pawl being non-rotatable butlaxially movable with respect to said 4second named second named ratchet wheel; and a release member .for moving saidv pawlaxially ssiaid rotatable element. l 1 I 2. In a hand brake, the combmation with a rotatableelement; of a ratchet avheel rigid with said element; a pawl cooperable with said -ratchet wheel, thev pawl being axially movable lrela-tive to the ratchet wheel to permit disengagement therefrom; kspring means yieldingly impelling said pawl into cooperative engagement with said ratchet wheel; a locking dog; a second ratchet wheel with which said dog cooperates, said pawl being nonrotatable but axially movable with respect to said second named ratchet` wheel; an operating lever and pawl for effecting step by step rotation lof said 'second named ratchet wheel, and a release member for moving said pawl axiallyragainst the spring action to thereby release said rotatable element, said release member comprising a lever pivotally mounted on said operatlng lever.

3. Ina hand brake7 the combination with said last named ratchetvwheel, said pawl being axially but non-rotatably mounted within said sleeve; aI spring normally maintaining said last named pawl -1n cooperatlve engage-v ment with the ratchet wheel of said element; and means for effecting axial movement of said pawl with respect to said sleeve to thereby release said rotatable element.

4. In a hand brake operable from both sides of a wall; the combination with a rotatable element having a ratchet ,wheel rigid therewith; of a l:spring-influenced pawl cooperable with said ratchet wheel and movable axially relatively thereto; an operating member on each side ofthe wall; means interposed between said operating members and said pawl forl effecting step by step rotation thereof; and means; including a relase element on each side of the wall, for veffecting axial movement of said pawl to disengage it from said ratchet wheel.

5. In a. hand brake operable from both sides of a wall, the' combination with a rotatabledrum having a ratchet wheel rigid therewith; of a pawl cooperable with said ratchet wheel and adapted for axial movement with respect thereto; a spring noragainst the spring action to therebyrelease mally maintaining 'said pawl in cooperative engagement with said .ratchet Wheel; a second ratchetwheel non-rotatably engaged with said pawl butl with respect to Vwhich the latter is axially movable; a locking dog cooperablewith said second named ratchetA wheel; an operating lever and pawl coop-I erable with said second named ratchet wheel to effect step by step rotation thereof,

said lever being disposed on one side of the wall; a second operating lever on the opposite side ofthe wall; means extending between said levers rigidly connecting the same; a Vrelease lever pivotally mounted on eaclr operating lever; kand axially movable means common to said first named pawl and the two release levers adapted to be axially moved to di'sengage said first named pawl upon actuation of either release lever.

6. Iny a .hand brake operable from both sides of a wall, the combination with a winding drum rotatably mounted within the wall and having a ratchet wheel at one end thereof; a. casing secured to one side of said wall; a sleeve rotatably mounted within said casing and having a peripherally arranged ratchet wheel; a pawl nonrotatably but axially slidably mounted within said sleeve, said pawl cooperating with the ratchet wheel of said drum; an

' axially extending member having shouldered engagement with said pawl; an operating lever on the side ofthe wall adjacent said casing, said operating lever having a pawl cooperablevwith the ratchet wheel of said sleeve; an operating lever on the opposite side of the wall; and a release .lever pivotally mounted on each of the operatin levers, each release lever being adapted to engage and axially move said member having shouldered `engagement with the first named pawl.

7 In a hand brake operable from both sides of a wall, the combination with a casing secured to one side of the wall; of a sleeve rotatably mounted within said casing, said sleeve having a peripheral ratchet wheel; a locking dog cooperable with said ratchet wheel to prevent rotation thereof in an unwinding direction; a winding drum extending through the wall and rotatably mounted at one end with respect to said sleeve,` said drum having a ratchet wheel at said end; a pawl axially movable but non-rotatably mounted with respect to said sleeve and cooperable with the drum ratchet wheel; spring means normally maintaining said pawl in engagement with the drum ratchet wheel; a sleeve extending axially through the drum'and on which said pawl is mounted; a centrally disposed axle `extending through the last named sleeve; an operating lever rigidly secured to each end of said axle; a pawl carried by the operating lever at that end adjacent the Y pi'votally mounted on each'operating lever, day of Jan. 1921. Y each Vrelease lever having cooperatlvefenv gagement with thesecond named sleeve to casing and vtoo-perable with the ratchet wheel In Witness that I claim the foregoing I of the first named sleeve; end-a relea'sellever have hereunto Subscribed my herne this 10th 10 v JOHN F. OCONNORQ effect axial movement of the latter and Vtnesses: f Y

thereby disengage the first"y named pawl CARRIE GAI'LING, from thedrum ratchet wheel. UNA C. PEKIN. 

